Tikka XP

Average Rating4.67 / 5 (6 reviews)

I can't begin to state how pleased I am with this headlamp - it is heads and tails over the previous Tikka/Zipka/Plus generations.

I've owned every tikka/zipka since they came out - for the efficiency and light weight they provided. Each succesive generation was a bit better. But to be honest, they never had enough oomph to make me feel comfortable hiking - they worked great in camp, but on trail with the light fell off quickly and I always wanted more.

Well, now I have it. The XP is a new generation of LED lights and it puts out the candle power! It keeps the same miserly battery usage, adds in a battery guage, a very useful wide-angle adaptor (built in) and its titable - all of this for maybe 1/2 oz more.

I just used this for a night hike into Havasu Canyon and it really made the difference. My son's Tikka plus was outshone, literally.

The wide angle is great for in camp use - it makes a huge difference in light pattern, and as ever the LED is great light to read by.

I have nothing negative to say about this 1 watt LED headlamp. Only positive things to say. I have used it numerously in the past year and have been doing a lot of solo backpacking at night BECAUSE of this fantastic light.

It is very lightweight, the batteries last a long time, it gives you a good focused beam and is rugged. It looks cool too.

I cant believe I used to lug a conventional bulb flashlight around on the trail (even a small conventional bulb flashlight).

Deer eyes show up as green eyes when you are backpacking at night...you will spook all the deer in your area if you use this thing in night backpacking.

Only thing I wish it had was maybe a red lens option to use when I want to save my night vision. But this wish is no biggie. This light is fantastic.

But a Photon Light is Much Better for Less Demanding Uses
on 11/15/2006 11:26:03 MST

Rating: 5 / 5

I have several of the "miner's lamp" style LED lights, and consistently leave them at home in favor of a Photon light. The Tikka/Black Diamond/etc. headlamps work well, but the less than .5 ounce Photon light works equally well for setting up a simple camp at night, making a call of nature, etc.

I haven't tried one for trail walking, but I do remember using a less-bright old-style incandescent light to hike back from Nevada Falls - so I assume the Photon light would also be adequate for WELL ESTABLISHED trails.

I WOULD use a light like the new XP (esp. with the 1 watt/wide angle features) if I were hiking during "long nights" seasons and had a complicated camp set up. Then the weight would be worth it.

BTW, the Photon lights are available with "hat clips" so you can clip them to a baseball style cap. Others have put a dot of Velcro on their hat brim and the Photon light.

I agree with all the previous reviews here for the most part. For a headlamp to shoot out this much light, be this light and use so little juice is pretty amazing. I use this light and it has never failed on me. To top it off it is cheap.

I have only one complaint. The buttons are a too small. They need to be about twice the size so that gloved use was easier.

A headlamp with some very innovative features like the slide diffuser, boost mode and battery meter. I especially like the diffuser which makes quick adjustments for wide or focused light.

Now I know this is very subjective, but it doesn’t seem as bright while in non-boost mode compared to my older tikka plus or newer EOS. Brightness seems to fade pretty fast even after putting in fresh batteries too.

My biggest gripe though is the angle adjustment, which will only go down to about 45 degrees. Maybe it’s my Neanderthal-like forehead but while doing chores and such a little extra downward adjustment would be nice.

The buttons would be better if they were either bigger or just further apart too.

I’m still undecided if I like this headlamp or not. My complaints are rather small, but they give me enough cause to reach for alternatives when heading out the door.